A single blood donation can save up to three lives – why am i aren’t really us doing it??
Simon and Jo Adam are eternally grateful to your generous donors who helped save their sons, James, four, and Charlie, one.
When these folks were born, both boys were influenced by neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia – a rare blood-related illness that afflicts approximately 155 Australian babies per year.
During both of Jo’s pregnancies, her body didn’t recognise her sons’ platelet antigens and subsequently treated them as foreign objects.
This produced an antibody “attack” for the babies in utero, causing her sons with an incredibly low amount of platelets.
Low platelet counts can pose a major health risk, preventing blood from clotting using the added danger of serious internal bleeding, including in the brain.
When James was given birth, a blood test revealed he was dangerously lower in platelets.
He was rushed in the NICU and received six platelet transfusions with an infusion of immunoglobulin (created from donated plasma), which helped stabilise his platelet levels straight back to a healthy range.
With the ability of her condition, Jo received weekly immunoglobulin infusions during her second pregnancy with Charlie to help reduce the chance of an antibody “attack”.
Like James, Charlie was born which includes a low platelet count, requiring platelet transfusions that helped get his levels back up in a healthy level.
These days both boys are healthy and happy, with the experience driving their father to start to be an advocate for donations and regularly giving blood, plasma and platelets.
“Prior to presenting the boys, I already donated blood because I feel like it was what’s right to do considering I seemed to be healthy capable to do so,” says Simon.
“After the birth of my sons also, the ordeal they had, it really honed with the sheer gravity of blood donation and how it can save lives.
“Donations could be the reason my boys are alive and well today.
“It’s this sort of simple, simple and easy painless process to donate and also the knowledge you happen to be helping others, potentially saving multiple lives in the process, is indispensable.”
Why blood donations are very important
A third folks will receive a blood or blood product donation someday in our lives.
Yet despite a lot of us relying on blood donations, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service says only 3 per cent of Aussies donate blood every year.
With demand for blood and blood products predicted to double in the following decade, Australians are going to be encouraged to get more proactive about donations this?World Blood Donor Day (June 14).
Donations of more rare blood groups are vital, since they run in shorter supply.
The least common ABO blood types are AB-positive, AB-negative, B-negative and A-negative.
How to be aware of if you’re allowed donate blood
The most significant factors for eligibility are you’re healthy, 18 to 70 years and weigh above 50kg.
The next step is to always take the eligibility quiz to supplement lifestyle and health factors (along the lines of being recently ill, through an autoimmune condition or chronic fatigue syndrome, a few) might solve your ability to donate blood.
How blood donations are used
Blood can be used in 22 different kinds, of topical treatments, with more than one third of donations put to use in cancer and blood disease patients.
It could also be used for patients who are significant swelling through trauma being a road accident, or people that have who need specific blood models like red blood cells or plasma.
Top tricks for blood donation
First, make a free consultation at your local blood donor centre.
On manufactured of your donation appointment, there are a few steps you need to take pre and post donating:
Watch Luke Darcy look at Australia’s Red Cross Blood Want to donate his blood on The House of Wellness Television program.
Written by Charlotte Brundrett.
